Every hidden gems video worth watching in Seoul — in one place

The consensus across creators who have spent extended time in Seoul is that the guidebook circuit — Gyeongbokgung, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Hongdae — covers perhaps 20 per cent of what makes the city interesting, and that the neighbourhoods doing the most interesting things are invariably the ones that haven’t been named yet. Mullae-dong, an industrial district on the western side of the city, has been converting metal workshops into artist studios and late-night bars without losing the working-class texture that makes it feel different from Seongsu’s more polished gentrification. Buam-dong, north of Gyeongbokgung, offers hillside hanok cafes with views down towards the palace grounds — a significantly quieter experience than Bukchon even though the two neighbourhoods share the same skyline. The Yangnyeongsi Herbal Market, a 600-year-old medicinal herb market near Jongno-gu, is one creator’s specific recommendation as the single most distinctive market in Seoul for anyone who has already done the Gwangjang circuit — the scale, smell, and operational character are entirely unlike anything else in the city.

“10 Best Things to Do in SEOUL” is the most structured approach to the lesser-known city — it identifies Seongsu, the Yangnyeongsi Market, and a secret Starbucks housed in a 1960s cinema as a coherent alternative circuit to the standard itinerary. Pair it with “Seoul’s Secret Spots Locals Love 2026,” which focuses on the residential neighbourhoods — Mullae-dong, Buam-dong, Huam-dong — and gives the neighbourhood-level detail that the “top 10” format cannot accommodate. Together the two videos give you an alternative Seoul itinerary layer that does not require abandoning the flagship sites, just supplementing them.